Indexing device



Sept. 24, 1940. J. c EHRLICH INDEXING DEVICE Filed May 26, 1938 INVENTOR John Ehrl t cl2.

Patented Sept. 24, 1940 UNITEDI STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to indexing devices, si1ch as are used to point out an Index mark by a movab1e member and it may be constructed as a de-' vice solely for indexing purposes or it may be built into other apparatus where an index is desirable, as, for instance, to point out time or to"register'any pa'rticlar mark or number for future reference. An object of the invention is 130 provide an indexing device that is 10W in cost and that cannot readily geb out f order; another object of the invention is 130 provide an indexing device that may be applied in a groove on the indexed surface and another object of the invention is 130 provide an indexing device that can be easily sei; by the fingernail or the point of a penci1 and that is retained in the sei; position.

Another object 015 the invention is 130 provide an indexing member for a bottle cap located. in an undercut groove in the cap and another object of the inventiomis to provide an indexing member in a molded, plastic body, having an un- Other understood from the variety of applications thereof, illustrated in the accompanying draw Ing and described in the following specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one form of my invention applied 130 a bottle cap using a spring wire indexing member;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a modified sectional elevation of the type of cap shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation on 1ine 4-4 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 5 is a top p1an view of another form of a bottle cap using a wire indexing member;

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of another modification of a bottle cap having a wirre indexing member;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a bottle cap or similar device having a pair of indexing members, and Fig. 7a is a sectional detail of the construc--- tion shown in Fig. '7.

One particular use of this invention is in Connecon With caps for medicine bottles in Which the dose is 130 be taken ab periodic intervals. The top of the cap is provided With numerals corresponding to the face of a watch and an undercut groove is provided in the body of the cap and.

centered on the cap and. in this groove an ind'e'xirig member i's' lobated which may readily be moved by. the firiger to any position correspo-ndixifgt o the t ime;at Which the next dose is to be .t'akefl. One'way of securing this resuit is to locate a Spring ring in the undercut gro0ve with an indexing mark on the ring so that it may be rotated in the groove 170 bring the mark opposite the time to be indicated. This provides an inexpensive construction that adds 1ittle 130 the cost of the regular molded bott1e cap.

In Fig. l, I I is the bottle cap which may be provided with the usual screw socket 130 secure on the neck of the bottle and the top is provided with a row of time indexing characters I3 and With an undercut groove I4 centered on the cap.

' In this groove the wire ring I5 is located, having one end projecting at I6 to indicate the numeral desired and by which the ring is readily rotated in the groove. In the construction in Fig. 3 the groove is shown as having a square section and undercut as indicated at I! and the wire ring I5a is shown as engaging the outer side of Ehe groove and as provided with the index finger I6a to register With the marks.

The construction in Fig. 4 indicates a raised coliar at I8 on the top of the cap which has an undercut groove in the side thereof to receivia the Index ring I5. In the construction in Fig. 6 the undercut groove for the wire ring is provided ab the top edge of the cap as indicated at I9 and the indexing finger I6 is turned inwards.

In Figs. 7 and 7a the groove HI is made of sufficient width 110 receive the ring I5 and. the ring I5a which may be freely rotated in this groove independently 0 f each other, the index finger I6a of ring I5a projects outwardly over the marked portion of the body and the index finger I6 points inwardly to avoicl the finger IIia and. which can be located opposite any of the marks shown. By this arrangemen-t one index finger may be used 1:0 indicate time, AM and the other index finger may be used 120 indicate time PM, and. if desired a different color may be used in each cas. The index fingers may also be used, one to po-int qut the hour and the other 110 point out divisions of the hour on the same dial.

The undercut groove I4 can be made by drawing the mo1d before the plastic material cools, which is 110W practiced in certain Gases With reference 120 cirawing the mold. from the threaded socket at I2. The indexing ring is preferably made of spring wire, but may be made of any material that has sufi'icient resiliency and that will move free1y in the groove. The spring ring should be made smaller than the groove so that it Will engage the inside of the groove, er it may be made larger than the groove so that it will engage the outside of the groove and have a normal bias 130 hold it in the position to which it has been adjusted.

The groove in the ledge I8 is undercut to hold the spring ring in place and is the equivalent of the groove I4 which is cut into the surface of the device.

- Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1. An indexing device comprising a member with an undercut groove therein having a. bottom ancl a side Wall and having index marks placed. around the groove, and a, spring ring of wire smaller in diameter than the depth of said groove, located in said groove anal having a portion arranged. to register with the index marks, seid ring having a bias to frictionally engage the side wall of said groove.

2. An indexing device comprising a member with an annular, undercut groove therein having a. bottom and a side Wall and having index marks placed around the groove, and a wire spring 10- cated in said groove and frictionally engaging the side Wall of the groove and having a. projection arranged register Wi1th the index marks.

3. An indexing device comprising a member with an annular, undercut groove therein having a bottom and a side wall and having index m,arks placed around the groove, and a wire spring ring located in said groove and having a bias expand and engage the side Wall by friction and a. projection on said ring arranged register with the index marks.

k. An indexing device comprising a. member With an annular undercut groove therein and having index marks placed around the groove, a wire spring ring located in said groove having a bias to contract in said groove and a second wire spring ring located in said groove and having a bias to expand in said groove, said rings being freely movable in said groove independently of each other anal a portion of each 1ing being arranged to register with said index marks.

5. An indexing device comprising a member with a groove therein having a bottom and a side wal1 and having index marks placed adjacent the groove and an open wire spring in said groove frictionally engaging the side Wall of the groove und having an end portion of the wire bent to register Wit;h the index marks.

JOHN C. EHRLICH. 

